Vehicle signal



Oct. 20, 1925 1,558,183 P. c.' KLJNGBEIL VEHICLE SIGNAL Filed June 161925 Patented Oct. 20, 1925.

UNITED STATES PAUL C. KLINGBEIL, OF REMSEN, IOWA.

VEHICLE SIGNAL.

Application led June 16, 1925.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, PAUL C. KLINGBEIL, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Remsen, in the county of Plymouth and State of Iowa,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Vehicle Signal,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a traiiic signal, and it is my object to providea signal having an indicating member which may be retracted when it iswithdrawn to inoperative position into a position occupying a minimum ofspace, whereby the said indicating member may be entirely containedwithin a casing adapted to be mounted in the door post of an enclosedvehicle, and entirely concealed from sight.

More particularly, my invention contemplates a structure wherein a lazytongs structure is pivoted at one of its extreme central pivots to acasing and has one of its intermediate central pivots secured to, andcarried by, an operating arm, which is mounted in the casing forlongitudinal sliding movement, andV held against lateral movement,whereby the lazy tongs structure may be projected in a straight pathfrom the' casing.

Another object isy to provide a cover, hinged to the casing, adapted toclose the same, the movement of the lazy tongs structure, whenv beingprojected or retracted, serving to open and close the coverrespectively.

Another object is to provide a fabric envelope surrounding the lazytongs structure, together with means for maintaining the lateralfullness of the envelope as the lazy tongs is projected outwardly.

With these and other -objects in view, my invention consists in theconstruction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of mydevice, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinaftermore fully set forth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a horizontal sectional view through a portion of the door postand windshield of a vehicle, illustrating the position in whichthesignal member is attached.

Fig. 2 is a similar sectional view through the windshield post of anopen vehicle, il-

Serial No. 37,434.

lustrating a slightly modified form of the device attached thereto.

Fig. 3 is an elevation from the exterior side of the vehicle door post,illustrating the guter side of the casing and the cover mem- Fig. 4 is avertical longitudinal sectional view through the door post and thesignal installed therein, taken as indicated on the lie 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a similar sectional view showing the two extremities of thelazy tongs structure in extended position.

Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view taken as indicated by the line 6 6 ofFig. 5, the lazy tongs structure being shown in partly projectedposition.

Fig. 7 is a perspective View, illustrating the extremity of a path ofthe lazy tongs links, illustrating their method of connection.

Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view of one of the spacing ribs. n

I have used the reference character 1() to indicate generally the doorpost of an enclosed vehicle, having the windshield, 11, andthe forwarddoor, 12, hinged at 13 to the post, 10.` My signal is provided with acasing, 14, which may be of sheet metal or a castin0, and which isprovided at its open outer sii-le with a flange, 15, through ,which woodscrews, 16,- are received in order to secure/thecasing to the post, 10.1

The post is provided with a socket to receive the casing, 14, in amanner similar to the installation of an ordinary door lock. The rearside of the casing, 14, is formed with a sleeve, 17, which projectsinwardly through the post and into the interior of the vehicle.

The movable indicating member comprises generally a lazy tongsstructure, formed of fiat steel links, 1S, and half links, 18a and 18h,at the inner and outer extremities thereof, respectively. Each of thelinks, 18, is split at its centei to provide the threey webs, 19 an-d19a, (see Fig. 6), the former being pressed in one direction and thelatter in the other direction to form a closed loop, serving as a hubfor the link. The webs 19a, are adapted to be received within the Spacebetween the webs, 19, of the adjacent link when the lazy tongs structureis closed. (See Fig. 4.) Thus .the links may be folded CII ing toproject the same.

into a very small space when the lazy tongs structure is retracted.

As shown in Fig. 6, the -links 18, are pivoted, edO'e to edge, by meansof central pivots, 2O and the outer ends thereof secured together in thesame manner by means of connecting pivots, Q1. The outer ends of thelinks, 18 and 18, are each provided' with hinge loops, which are formedby splitting the ends into three webs, 2Q and QT, and bending therespective webs, Q2 and 22, in opposite directions to form closed loops,as shown in Fig. T, The webs, 22a and 22, of the adjacent links areadapted to intermesh in a manner similar to that of the central hubloops.

By thus intermeshing the hinge loops and disposing the links with theirflat faces 'adjacent each other a minimum of space is required to housethe indicating member when 4in closed position.

The ends of the half links, 18", are connect-ed by a pivot, 23, and theends of the half links, 18, are pivotally mounted ona shaft,'2l, whichis secured at its ends in the sides of the casing, 14, as shown in Fig.(S.

A flat arma 25, is slidably mount-ed in the sleeve, 17, and has itsinner end received between the inner edges of the two sets of lazy tongslinks. In order to accommodate the arm, 25, between the links `the sameare spaced apart at all of their pivots except Vthe lstationary pivot,24, Vand the next adjacent central pivot by means 4of small washers, 26.

The arm, .ll, is provided with la lolyig'itudinal slot, 27, whichreceives the pin, Q1, and allows sliding movement of 'the a 'm rela-tivethereto. The vpivot gin, 20, which is next adjacent to the shaft, 24, isSecured in the end of the znrn, 25, so that movement of the arm, `25,longitudinally will transmit movementV to the lazy tongs structure,tend- (See Fig. 5.)

The sleeve, 17, 'is of considerable lengt-h so that the arm, i5, isrigidly held against lateral movement, Aand it thus serves to supportthe lazy tongs struct-ure against sagging as it is projected outwardlyvrand causes it to move in a straight path.

The fabric envelope, 28, encloses lthe lazy tongs structure, and as thesame is retracted to closed position it will fold accordian-liketherewith.

l1n order to prevent the folds catching bet-weon the Alinks of the lazytongs and to maintain a constant- `width as Athe signal is extended, Iprovide -a number of ribs, 29, Awhich Amay -be made of wire, havin-gloops, "80, 'at their centers, by means of which `the Aribs, l29', arepivoted to the central wpivot pins, 20, and .at their outer lends beingformed with cross members, 81. The outer -ends of ,the `cross membersare looped, as

The arm, 25, is provided with a pair of vertical arms, 33` at the endsof whichare a similar pair of cross arms, provided at their ends withloops, 34.

Cables, 35, are secured in the loops, 3l and 32, and `at their forwardends are brought together and secured to the forward hinge pin, 23.

It will be seen that the arms, space the cables apart sutliciently toembrace the sides of the lazy tongs links.

A rib, 29, is provided for each of the pivot pins, 20. (See Fig. 4L.)

ln order to maintain the ribs in positions perpendicular to the path ofmovement of the lazy tongs structure, they are provided withlaterally-entendin g lugs` 25, which will be engaged between the facesof the adjacent links as the lazy tongs structure is brought to closedposition. then in extended position thetightening of the cables, 35,SGI'VQS the Same PHI'POSC.

A cover, 36, of sheet metal is provided at its upper end with a hingeelement, 3T, having the spaced hinge loops, 38, at its extremities, andhaving its central portion bent flatelfally, as at 881. A coactingelement, 39, is secured to the iiange, 1.5, and has a coacting hingeloop, l0` adapted to be received between the loops` 38.

A pin, all, connects the hinge .elements together in order to hinge thecover, 36, to the casing. lh-en the cover is swung to horizontal`position, as shown in Fig. 5, the niember, 88, will contact. with rtheupper 'hir-ige element, 39, and linut the upward movement of the cover.

rthe `cover ris -urged toward this horizontal position by means of aspring, coiled .as .at 452, around ythe i'ii 1i,11,'between the loo-ps,$38 and a0, having a portion 'received under the member, 38, at .4i-3,and having its ends cured under hooks, 1111 on the rupper hinge element,89. (See Fig.

The hinged end of the cover, 36, .is provided with an inturned lin,which, when `the oever is closed, Ais received in ya pocket,

156, provided in. the casing, 111, for that pur pose.

A. hook, 47, is secured to `the upper end ot one of the outer links, 18.The .two 4hooks are so positioned and formed ithat as the lazy :tongsstructure is moved inwardly, the fheok, 47, will .engage the hook, 46,in the position sho-wn in Fig. and will dra-w the cover `closed to theposition shown in Fig lYhen the cover has reached its vertical povsition, it will be engaged against ithe hook, '17, as :shown in Fig,'and limited -from further Amovem ent.

By forming .the'two hooks of resilient ma ferial, the parts `may be soarranged that when the lazy tongs structure is completely closed,the'tivo hooks-may vbe sprung out 'iwaif'dly somewhat by their mutualengagenient and the cover thus locked against rattling by the tensionthus imposed.

The advantages of the device over other` structures lie chiefly in thecompactness Which allows the signal to be entirely hidden Within thedoor post when in retracted position, the neatness of appearance whichis occasioned by the closing or" the casing with the cover', 36, and thesecuring of the cover against rattling.

Sonie changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of theparts ot' my invention Without departing from the real spirit andpurpose of my invention, and

it is my intention to cover by my claims any modified forms of structureor use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included withintheir scope.

I claim as my invention:

l. In a vehicle signal, a casing, a door hinged to the casing and'having at its hinged end an inwardly extending hook, said door beingspring-urged toward open position, a lazy tongs structure mounted in thecasing, means for extending the lazy tongs beyond the casing, and afinger on the free end of the lazy tongs adapted 4to engage said hookwhen the lazy tongs is retracted into the casing to thereby close the ni door, said finger when the door 1s closed being engaged between thehook and the door to maintain the latter against vibration.

2. In a vehicle signal, a casing, a lazy tongs structure mountedthe-rein, means for extending and retracting said lazy tongs, a fabricenvelope covering said lazy tongs, and means for maintaining saidenvelope in spaced relation to said lazy tongs, said means including t`ansverse bars carried by the central pivots of t/he lazy tongsstructure, and cords secured to the ends of Said bars and to the outercentral pivot of the lazy tongs structure in order to maintain said barsin transverse position.

3. 1n a vehicle signal, a casing, a door hinged to the casing and havingat its hinged end an inwardly-extending hook, said door beingspring-urged toward open position, a lazy tongs structure mounted in thecasing, means for extending the lazy tongs beyond the casing, and afinger on the free end oit the lazy tongs adapted to engage said hookwhen the lazy tongs is retracted into the casing to thereby close. thedoor, said finger maintaining its engagement With the hook when the dooris closed in order to retain the door` against opening.

Ll. In a vehicle signal, a casing and a lazy tongs structure mountedtherein, comprising a plurality of fiat bars having integral laterallydisplaced Webs at the end and central portions thereof, spaced to formtransverse journals, and spaced so that the Webs of one bar Will litWithin the interspaces of the Webs of its adjacent bar when thestructure is collapsed, and pintles connecting the bars, said pintlesbeing received through said journals.

In a vehicle signal, a casing, an arm mounted in said casing forlongitudinal sliding movement and held against lateral movement, a lazytongs structure having its extreme central pivot secured to the casingand an intermediate central pivot secured to the arm, said arm having alongitudinal slot receiving the extreme central pivot of the lazy tongs.

Signed at Remsen, in the county ot Plymouth and State of Iowa, thisllt-h day of June, 1925.

PAUL c. itLrNG-Bnrn

